Field notes

The idea you want to learn from this person and would do anything for that chance acts like a magnet to attract positive affect. Of course, sincerity matters most. If done just to create goodwill, the request will usually backfire. Most people are good souls. They hold positive values, stand for quality, and act with good intentions. Better yet, they have a real desire to help good people, even relative strangers. Using this to your advantage is never deceptive or manipulative. Asking people for help is a relationship intensifier. If the request for help is sincere, everyone wins.

When It Comes to End-Users and Customers, It’s All About Reducing Friction

What it means to be a contrarian leader is often misunderstood. True contrarians do not try to do the opposite of what everyone else is doing, nor do they take a contrary stand just to be different. Contrarian leaders simply try to live in the future while everyone else is focused on living in the present.

At Some Point, You Have to Stop Repeating the Bad News. When things go horribly wrong, leaders face the difficult challenge of repairing a reputation and credibility that is now suspect. This requires gathering the pertinent information and crafting a plan to respond that exudes the integrity and competence that will effectively address the misstep or error. Openly explaining what happened, why it happened, and what the remedy is going forward is all that can be done. People on the inside and outside naturally want to talk about this “news” and the shift in meaning it has created for them. They will ask repeatedly to go over the same ground as to why the event occurred and how it can be avoided in the future.

Trust in relationships, on a team, and within an enterprise is the critical building block of effectiveness. Without it, everyday tasks become burdensome and take longer, as people must find a way to get comfortable with what they are told. When trust is low, verification, second-guessing, and interpretation clog the ability to act quickly and smoothly. A lack of trust prevents a team from operating fluidly and without unnecessary steps. Establishing trust is an essential step in all great relationships and teams. Unfortunately, building trust takes time. It is a conviction built slowly through experience. Trust requires a consistency and predictability proven through repeated interactions.